Meet Your Match

7

Clutching my phone in the confessional chair, I spoke slowly and clearly.

"I've seen the comments regarding my roommate back home, so: please don't beat her up or lock her in a car in the middle of a desert, or—" I had to squint at the blurry picture I'd taken. "—turn her into a pizza topping. No pushing her off cliffs, no tying her to ceiling fans, no...uh, 'losing her at sea'. None of that, please, and don't try to contact her either. No sorcery necessary, no harm. This has been a sincere request from Halle, thank you all."

I'd never used Gina's name, but I didn't want to encourage the idea of anyone trying to locate her through me.

Felix, who had been a bartender in college, was making everyone drinks by the pool. I ignored his sour glances as I put together a Shirley Temple for myself—it would've been dirty but the vodka was out of reach—taking it with me to where Hanna had her feet in the water.

Electing not to take a dip, I folded my knees to my chest and stared at my wedge sandals...specifically at my dark blue nail polish; it reminded me of the exact shade that had lined Hanna's eyes. Her espadrilles were set neatly to the side, her beer bottle between us.

Bound to knock it over while daydreaming, I placed the Shirley Temple away from any limbs.

We didn't say anything. Hanna was in her own world, I was enjoying our surroundings—mostly the dimming sky. Her perfume mingled with the equally vibrant scents of nature, making me sleepy yet giving me a rested feeling at the same time. I closed my eyes to chuckles and squeals, splashing water, and the wind picking up.

It was perfect.

For a moment.

And in the next moment, my whole body jerked at an air-cracking noise. I tried to catch the glass as I bumped it, but much of the liquid bloomed red, red, red in the water.

Hanna hadn't even noticed. She'd gotten her phone out—was frowning hard at it.

I went inside, shutting the doors to mute the abuse of the air horn, and slumped onto a large cushion.

"Here you go." Jane had taken the cushion next to mine and passed me a tissue.

Where the hell did she come from? Did she follow me here?

"Thanks." I dried my hands, glad they weren't shaking.

But I'd forgotten nothing was free.

"There's a decision I think you can help me make, Halle."

There wasn't anything I could help anyone with right now, but I stayed silent.

"You see, my parents won't accept me dating anyone who didn't graduate from college, and Felix dropped out. I mean, even community college means an instant veto from them, so someone who gave up on a decent school—well, forget it. How do I bring this up with him? I figured I'd ask you since you didn't go."

Was this a real conversation?

"I'm just not sure it'll work out with him and me because of my parents. Maybe they're not Demetrius Castile or Anorde Gold, but my parents are no joke. I'm not sure I can keep it a strict partnership, though. Did you see the way he ate his hot dogs? I swooned."

A giggle left me.

Jane stared in horror. Not because I'd laughed. Because a tear was gliding its way to my chin. "H-Halle..."

I waved a hand. "It's not what you think. I'm crying because of someone else."

"Hanna?" she guessed. "But you really helped her out in that eating competition..."